Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one of the oldest medical diagnostic tools. However, currently there is some debate on the structure formed by the cells during the sedimentation process. While the conventional view is that erythrocytes sediment as separate aggregates, others have suggest...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.729191/full |
| _version_ | 1828893258539859968 |
|---|---|
| author | Alexis Darras Hans Georg Breunig Thomas John Renping Zhao Johannes Koch Carsten Kummerow Karsten König Karsten König Christian Wagner Christian Wagner Lars Kaestner Lars Kaestner |
| author_facet | Alexis Darras Hans Georg Breunig Thomas John Renping Zhao Johannes Koch Carsten Kummerow Karsten König Karsten König Christian Wagner Christian Wagner Lars Kaestner Lars Kaestner |
| author_sort | Alexis Darras |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one of the oldest medical diagnostic tools. However, currently there is some debate on the structure formed by the cells during the sedimentation process. While the conventional view is that erythrocytes sediment as separate aggregates, others have suggested that they form a percolating gel, similar to other colloidal suspensions. However, visualization of aggregated erythrocytes, which would settle the question, has always been challenging. Direct methods usually study erythrocytes in 2D situations or low hematocrit (∼1%). Indirect methods, such as scattering or electric measurements, provide insight on the suspension evolution, but cannot directly discriminate between open or percolating structures. Here, we achieved a direct probing of the structures formed by erythrocytes in blood at stasis. We focused on blood samples at rest with controlled hematocrit of 45%, from healthy donors, and report observations from three different optical imaging techniques: direct light transmission through thin samples, two-photon microscopy and light-sheet microscopy. The three techniques, used in geometries with thickness from 150 μm to 3 mm, highlight that erythrocytes form a continuous network with characteristic cracks, i.e., a colloidal gel. The characteristic distance between the main cracks is of the order of ∼100 μm. A complete description of the structure then requires a field of view of the order of ∼1 mm, in order to obtain a statistically relevant number of structural elements. A quantitative analysis of the erythrocyte related processes and interactions during the sedimentation need a further refinement of the experimental set-ups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:51:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57ccf94a979246328e20a27cdf90e4f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:51:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-57ccf94a979246328e20a27cdf90e4f52022-12-21T23:43:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2022-01-011210.3389/fphys.2021.729191729191Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole BloodAlexis Darras0Hans Georg Breunig1Thomas John2Renping Zhao3Johannes Koch4Carsten Kummerow5Karsten König6Karsten König7Christian Wagner8Christian Wagner9Lars Kaestner10Lars Kaestner11Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyBiophotonics and Laser Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyExperimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyDepartment of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, GermanyDepartment of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, GermanyDepartment of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, GermanyBiophotonics and Laser Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyJenLab GmbH, Berlin, GermanyExperimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyDepartment of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, LuxembourgExperimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, GermanyTheoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Saarland University, Homburg, GermanyThe erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one of the oldest medical diagnostic tools. However, currently there is some debate on the structure formed by the cells during the sedimentation process. While the conventional view is that erythrocytes sediment as separate aggregates, others have suggested that they form a percolating gel, similar to other colloidal suspensions. However, visualization of aggregated erythrocytes, which would settle the question, has always been challenging. Direct methods usually study erythrocytes in 2D situations or low hematocrit (∼1%). Indirect methods, such as scattering or electric measurements, provide insight on the suspension evolution, but cannot directly discriminate between open or percolating structures. Here, we achieved a direct probing of the structures formed by erythrocytes in blood at stasis. We focused on blood samples at rest with controlled hematocrit of 45%, from healthy donors, and report observations from three different optical imaging techniques: direct light transmission through thin samples, two-photon microscopy and light-sheet microscopy. The three techniques, used in geometries with thickness from 150 μm to 3 mm, highlight that erythrocytes form a continuous network with characteristic cracks, i.e., a colloidal gel. The characteristic distance between the main cracks is of the order of ∼100 μm. A complete description of the structure then requires a field of view of the order of ∼1 mm, in order to obtain a statistically relevant number of structural elements. A quantitative analysis of the erythrocyte related processes and interactions during the sedimentation need a further refinement of the experimental set-ups.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.729191/fullred cellserythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)mesoscopic microscopytwo-photon microscopylight-sheet microscopyparticle gel |
| spellingShingle | Alexis Darras Hans Georg Breunig Thomas John Renping Zhao Johannes Koch Carsten Kummerow Karsten König Karsten König Christian Wagner Christian Wagner Lars Kaestner Lars Kaestner Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood Frontiers in Physiology red cells erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) mesoscopic microscopy two-photon microscopy light-sheet microscopy particle gel |
| title | Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood |
| title_full | Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood |
| title_fullStr | Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood |
| title_full_unstemmed | Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood |
| title_short | Imaging Erythrocyte Sedimentation in Whole Blood |
| title_sort | imaging erythrocyte sedimentation in whole blood |
| topic | red cells erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) mesoscopic microscopy two-photon microscopy light-sheet microscopy particle gel |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.729191/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexisdarras imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT hansgeorgbreunig imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT thomasjohn imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT renpingzhao imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT johanneskoch imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT carstenkummerow imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT karstenkonig imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT karstenkonig imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT christianwagner imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT christianwagner imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT larskaestner imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood AT larskaestner imagingerythrocytesedimentationinwholeblood |